2.17.2008

Yusef Lateef Live at Pep's



From a recent digging trip, I came up with a stereo copy of Yusef Lateef's Live at Pep's LP. The cover is in great shape, and you know how those Impulse! LPs from the 60s look-- nice glossy covers with sharp color photos. The disc itself was in VG + shape. I was sold.

Since it is an unbelievably dreary Sunday afternoon, it seems like a great time to share some jazz.

The personnel on this set include:
Yusef Lateef tenor sax, oboe, argo, and shannas
Richard Williams trumpet
Mike Nock piano
Ernie Farrow bass
James Black drums.

Recorded June 29, 1964

Also of note, Rudy Van Gelder engineered this disc. Having been a more passive consumer of jazz, I am looking to make it a more active endeavor, and to that point, Mr. Van Gelder seems to show up on a lot of sets that I find pleasing.

Mr. Lateef draws from a wide range of influences and uses the oboe to great effect on this set. Some of the more out there instruments argo and shannas are put to use and end giving a distinct feel to his musical selections.

To that end, here is a track called The Magnolia Triangle from side two of Live at Pep's. That odd tone at the beginning and at the end of the track is produced by the aforementioned argol. Apparently this is a "twin piped reed instrument from Syria." It reminds me of some of the Pipes of Pan type noises that are all over the Master Musicians of JaJouka...

I especially dig on the drum break and the ensuing section, where the trumpets hooks up into the groove.

I thoroughly enjoy this LP, go out and find a copy for yourself!

Download Magnolia Triangle here

2.15.2008

Back From The Depths-- Cratedigger Knocking Shop Mix

Hey All.

Sorry I have been MIA. I have been traveling to pay the bills. but trying to get some digging in wherever my travels have taken me.

I also experienced the loss of my trusty mac book, so that has been a bit of a setback.

In celebration, I have gone deep into the cratedigger vault to assemble a mix of art rock that I call the knockingshop.

I am sure that I will catch some grief for this, but I don't really care. As long as the music is weird, the guitars(sometimes) are loud, and the end result doesn't verge too close to prog, I am pretty comfortable with the genre.

For me, art rock seems to spin around the central hub of Brian Eno. He (or his direct influence) touches many of the tracks on knockingshop. He performs, directs and sometimes produces various items on this sonic menu.

Adrian Belew is another character that has his sonic fingerprints all over the mix. His wailing guitar stylings are a hallmark of artrock as well, methinks.

All of the tracks were gathered from original LPs that I had collected in various crates around the homestead. I had a lot of fun taking a trip down memory lane putting this one together. Hope you dig it.

Here is the tracklist:

cratedigger knockingshop

01 DJ David Bowie
02 Lone Rhino Adrian Belew
03 Third Uncle Eno
04 Man Machine Kraftwerk
05 Worlds in Collision Jerry Harrison
06 Cars Gary Numan
07 Miss Shapiro Phil Manzanera / 801
08 Cross Eyed & Painless Talking Heads
09 Trash Roxy Music
10 Neil & Jack & Me King Crimson

Download here